Hundreds of families who were displaced by the Bheri river floods in 2014 in Surkhet are still living in makeshift shelters, awaiting the government aid to purchase land and build homes. The floods had displaced 832 families and killed 115 people.

Following the disaster, the government had pledged Rs 125,000 each to the families who lost both their land and homes and Rs 75,000 each to the ones who only lost their homes in the disaster. The money was supposed to be distributed in two instalments.

Khagiram Regmi, who coordinates the Flood Victims’ Struggle Committee, said in two years the government has only distributed the first instalment of the aid to 577  families.

More than 200 families have not received a rupee of the aid that was promised, and most of the families who did spent it to fulfil their daily necessities, added Regmi.

About 162 flood-displaced families have been living in temporary shelters in Girighat, Taranga, Tikhakuna, Masina and Birendranagar areas as they have no place else to go. Others have moved to their previous settlements, knowing the danger of flood.

Lalitjung Shahi, one of the flood displaced, said he and his family have already spent two years in a small bamboo and plastic-sheeted hut. He does not know how long they will have to live there.

District Administrative Officer Hit Prasad Paudel said the office does not have sufficient budget to help the flood-displaced families.

The government had only allocated Rs 1.5 million for the district’s natural disaster fund this fiscal year, he added.